This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. In order to capture a snapshot of the broad diversity among yeast strains we chose to examine gross cell morphology. In particular we wanted to examine the shape of the cells at different phases of the cell cycle, and the underlying actin distribution. Current published methods for staining the cell surface and actin cytoskeleton were neither robust nor stream-lined. Thus we developed new protocols.